ANGELS, BUCS, SWAP STRUGGLING RELIEVERS
The Los Angeles Angels acquired pitcher Jason Grilli from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Ernesto Frieri.
What does it give the Los Angeles Angels
Frieri struggled badly in the ninth inning for the Angels, so they will probably give Grilli a shot at some point. For now, {P Joe Smith} will likely remain the closer for the Angels, but he is better suited to a setup or situational-righty role...due to his strong work against right-handed batters. Grilli is a veteran who was very good in the closer role last season, so the Angels hope for a quick turnaround here.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
Since Grilli had lost the closer role to {P Mark Melancon} recently, it makes sense to move the older Grilli for the younger Frieri here--since the latter has been a terrific eighth-inning pitcher for the Angels. The hope here is that Melancon will continue to get the job done in the ninth inning and Frieri gets comfortable again as a setup man now that he's in the National League.
Fantasy impact
In leagues where saves are important, the fantasy advantage here should go to Grilli (eventually). However, in leagues that count holds as well as saves, both Grilli and Frieri should see a nice spike in fantasy value in the months to come. The big loser here may be Smith if he loses the closer job to Grilli. The biggest winner is clearly Melancon, Pittsburgh's clear closer until further notice.
